Of Stars and Stripes
by Harue Aya
Summary: Collection of one-shots about you and the Star Spangled Man. (Steve/Reader)
1. 25 Minutes

**25 Minutes**

-_Because apparently, according to the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist, 7 minutes isn't enough._

* * *

It was one of those nights – nights that you never got to do much lately because of missions here and there – when the whole group got to be in the living room. The couch was crowded by Thor and Steve, who were having endless discussions about almost everything they would see on television (that seemed _strange_ to them). Clint and Bruce, who decided to sit on the carpet, were both patient enough to answer every single question the Norse god and the super soldier would throw at them. The _not-so-patient_ Tony Stark was with his girlfriend, Pepper, on the coffee table at the far end of the room, while you and Natasha decided to indulge yourself with a good book as you sat comfortably at the chairs near the window, where both of you could see a good look of the city.

The noise echoed on the four corners of the room, but you didn't mind. Although you were reading, the endless chatters of the famous heroes (expect the red-head beside you) didn't disturb you for one bit. It was kind of relaxing, actually, to be able to hear their endless riots, rants and arguments once again. You kind of missed it, considering the fact that you were left alone in the tower with Pepper for almost a week when they went out for their mission. _That had to be the longest time they've been out so far,_ you pondered.

"Okay. I'm bored. Let's play a game." You didn't even have to look up from the pages of your book to know that was Tony. Seconds later after hearing him speak, the television was suddenly turned off, and the other guys were then silenced. Stark must have turned the TV off when he realized that no one was listening.

Despite being indifferent, you finally looked at the _genius_ as he held out a small tissue box that was filled with small strips of paper instead of tissue. "Okay, so yeah. Let's play a game," he sternly repeated.

Steve looked displeased. "We are kind of watching something."

Tony grinned. "Oh, who cares? Besides, you can watch it again tomorrow night. Characters usually have flashbacks of what happened, or whatever."

"And what is this game of which you speak?" The god of lightning asked, forgetting his previous conversation with his other teammates. He then averted his attention from the television to the box Tony was holding. He frowned after realizing he was interrupted with such a _petty_ thing.

"This, my friend, is the key to the future," Tony began. "Or you know… the future of two people here." His last sentence was more of a mumble, and you didn't seem to catch that. He raised and shook the box slightly, as if making sure everyone was paying attention.

You then glanced at the woman sitting on a chair next to you. Just as you expected, Natasha went on with her reading and acted indifferently on the situation, much to Tony's dismay.

"Well then, shall we start? Would anyone like to volunteer?" Tony asked as he reached out the box when he turned to each one in the room, eyeing them with a somewhat threatening look. The rest of the guys, however, gave him a confused look in return.

No one seemed interested enough to pick a piece of paper. The sight of Tony grimacing because of that was priceless, and you ended up with fits of uncontrollable laughter. When you finally opened your eyes and wiped some of the tears away, you were welcomed with a grinning Tony, holding out the box so that you could pick out a paper.

You sneered and rolled your eyes, giving in to his request and picking up one of the many folded papers inside the tissue box just to get it over with. "So," you began as you unfolded the piece of paper, "what game are we playing?"

Tony looked at Pepper from the coffee table for second, as if exchanging thoughts, and back at you. Both of their grins matched what seemed to be an unpleasant look in their eyes. You cocked your head to the side, sensing that something wasn't sinking in your mind enough for you to get the hint. After a moment of contemplation, you finally realized what you have gotten yourself into. On cue, you looked at the unfolded paper you were holding and mentally face-palmed for being oblivious of the matter. _'Capsicle,'_ it read.

"So, _who_ did you get?" You could tell Clint was holding back a laugh.

Looking around, you observed that Bruce, Clint and Natasha already knew the game you were playing (with Natasha still being indifferent about the matter). Thor and Steve looked as clueless as you were a minute ago.

"I guess you're up, Captain," Bruce told the unaware super soldier. At this moment, Clint weren't able to fight his urges and ended up in hysterics, followed by the doctor's soft chuckle (for a guy who has anger management problems, he sure knew how to control his laughter). This caused Steve to frown a bit.

You narrowed your eyes at Tony and couldn't help but think that he did this on purpose. He knew you had a special thing for the famous Captain America ever since you were able to meet him in person; and now that you got to know him much better, your feelings grew like wildfire. Much to your dismay though, Tony's been trying to get the two of you _together_ – be it from pulling pranks to giving the two of you some _alone_ time, he just wouldn't give up. You couldn't help but wonder if he really wanted to help you, or he just had a knack for irritating you in countless of ways.

When you finally got out from your contemplation, Tony and Clint managed to coax Steve into standing up, and he was already by the closet door.

Knowing Tony and Clint all too well, you stood up and ran as fast as you could, but to no avail – your attempted escape was futile for the archer and the _arrogant _genius. They held you by the arms as you made your way to the closet. Frustrated (much more at Tony than at the laughing Clint), you brushed their hands off your arms. "Alright, alright. I'll do it. Not like I could do something about this anyway." You finally gave into submission, knowing better than to run away – especially if you have a couple of superheroes gathered in one room.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, who stopped laughing by then, took the liberty of opening the door for you. "Here you go," he said slyly, much more to the captain than to you. You then entered inside when Steve ushered for you to come in first. He followed you as soon as you entered.

"7 minutes, right?" Clint confirmed, looking at his phone.

"What? Are you kidding?" Tony gave him a quizzical look. "7 minutes wouldn't be enough! I'd go for 25."

Clint grinned, tapping something on his phone – probably setting an alarm. "25 it is!"

Before you could even protest, they have managed to close the door, leaving you and a still clueless captain inside a well-lighted closet.

Sighing in frustration, you looked around to see that you weren't inside a closet after all – it was too big to be one. It was more of a small room for Tony's pile of junk. A bookshelf could be seen in one corner, and a couple of sitting pillows on another. Besides for some blueprints on the floor, nothing interesting caught your eye – that is, until you caught cerulean orbs looking down at you, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"I don't quite get this game," he told you as a smile crept along his face.

"Trust me. You wouldn't want to." You sighed, deciding on sparing him by not telling the mechanics of the _game_. You decided to just let the 25 minutes pass and once the door opens you'd make a run for it and go directly to your room.

"Why are they even making it a big deal?"

"You know them. Sometimes they can be a bit… _crazy_."

A chuckle escaped Steve's lips, and you couldn't help but smile at the view. The sight of his smiling face caused you to feel butterflies in your stomach and your cheeks flush a bright red. You looked down and allowed yourself a smile.

You were kind of enjoying the moment when it was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey, you two were supposed to be _kissing_, not laughing," Tony said from outside.

"Kissing?" The soldier looked surprised.

You groaned. "Shut up, Tony!"

"I'm serious. JARVIS wouldn't let you out until something happens."

"Something happens?" Steve repeated once again.

You reached for the doorknob and discovered that you had been locked in, and you could only grimace. "Something tells me we're gonna have to be here for a while," you concluded.

* * *

25 minutes later, Tony knocked on the door again to tell you that they're heading for their bedrooms and that he's going to lock the two of you in there for the whole night so you could _cuddle_ more. This only added to your exasperation.

After failed attempts of opening the door, you finally gave up and decided to stay here for the night. It felt kind of awkward to you at first, considering that you were with the person you like, but Steve managed to make you feel comfortable and warm inside. You two were now lying on the floor with your head facing the ceiling as you told each other stories.

And on that moment, you forgot how furious you were at Tony.

"Sorry I got you into this," you told him after being quiet for a few minutes. "I should've never picked the paper." No matter how nice and fun this was for you, you couldn't tell if Steve felt the same. You faked a smile and looked at him to see he has his gaze averted from the ceiling.

"You don't need to say sorry." His words were sincere. "Plus, it's kind of fun. We never got to talk much lately, not like before."

You smiled, genuinely this time, when you remembered spending most of your time with him – times that were interrupted by the world that needed saving. You were closest to Steve than anyone else, and that's how you're feelings developed. It's very unlikely to meet someone as gentleman and as sweet as the super soldier next to you. You value your friendship more than anything else, but hoped that this _friendship_ would later on progress into something _more_.

You sighed. That will never happen.

"I miss _this_." Steve paused for a moment, but reluctantly continued, "I, uh, miss _you_."

Your eyes widen at his remark and felt yourself blush. The lights were off, but you could perfectly see his sapphire orbs on yours. This made you feel uneasy, but managed to brush it off with a chuckle. "I… miss you too," you responded.

He grinned and reached for your face, brushing off some strands of hair. You stiffened a lot more when you felt him leaning in slightly, with his forehead already on yours. This time you're cheeks were warmer and redder than ever. "There's something I should've told you a long time ago," he confessed, still flashing a heart-warming smile you had grown accustomed with.

"S-Steve?"

He backed away slightly and grinned even more. "I think I'm in love with a friend of mine." He laughed a bit and held your waist, drawing you near him.

Getting the hint made you smile. "You really don't know anything about confessing to a girl, huh?" You laugh and cupped your hand on his cheek.

"I kinda blew it, didn't I?"

"Yeah." You nodded and gave him a quick peck on his lips. "I love you too."

Without a word, the captain drew you nearer and planted another kiss. His lips were soft and sweet, and you couldn't help but smile. You then felt your arms reaching for the back of his neck, and this made him smile too. When you broke apart, you saw a grinning Steve hugging you quite protectively. You smiled in return and hugged him back.

You then found yourself slowly drifting off as you sank your head on his chest. You felt a kiss on your forehead before going into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next morning, Pepper Potts smiled at what she saw. The sight of Steve and you snuggling against each other in your sleep was just sweet. It kind of made her day. She finally decided to leave you alone and slowly closed the door.

Pepper went for the kitchen and was welcomed with Bruce's, Clint's and Natasha's warm smiles. She greeted them _"Good morning"_ and was greeted in return. She sat on the chair next to a certain red-head where a cup of coffee was waiting for her.

When she took a sip, she heard Clint started, "Hey, Bruce."

The doctor looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Pepper also stared at him and noticed that the tissue box Tony was holding last night was only inches away from him.

"Last night, when _she_ picked a piece of paper," Clint was referring to you, "She didn't say anything about picking up Steve, right?"

Bruce nodded.

"How come you already knew?" the archer asked once again.

"Well, Agent Barton." Bruce reached for the tissue box and shook the papers off, exposing Tony's handwriting on each of the strips. "I just had a feeling Tony would set them up."

The archer saw Steve's name (and _nicknames_) on every strip of paper. It was then that it occurred to him that Tony wasn't interested in playing a game at that time. He was more concerned if Steve would be able to confess his feelings for a certain girl. He then turned to Pepper and Natasha. "You knew this?"

Natasha gave him a smirk and Pepper could only laugh.

* * *

**A/N:** Because I just don't see Steve confessing upfront. He'd need help, of course. ;)


	2. A Lullaby

**A Lullaby**

-_Scared of lightning? A super soldier with an iPod might just solve the problem._

* * *

After a long day of riot at the Stark Tower, you found yourself walking from the kitchen. You figured you shouldn't turn the lights on the corridor since it might wake anyone up. Plus, the light that illuminated from the window was enough for you not to stumble on anything _expensive_. The thought of Tony Stark offering the Avengers to stay at Stark Tower finally sank in your mind. It was a lot for you to process – considering Tony wasn't the _friendly_ type – but the first 3 days ended up pretty well.

Until now.

"Stupid weather," you mumbled under your breath as you remembered being abruptly awakened by a deafening thunder. You took a deep breath. It would surely be a lot harder for you to sleep now, considering the storm hadn't passed yet.

You've just had your favorite hot chocolate a moment ago and was about to go back to your room when you passed by the living room and saw Steve Rogers sitting on a sofa as he watched the cascading raindrops shower the city. You stopped on your tracks and stared at him for a bit when you were convinced that he wasn't aware you were there. His face was calm and soothing and his eyes were mysterious pools of cerulean. He seemed to be in deep thought, and you couldn't help but fix your gaze on the super soldier.

You didn't even notice that you've been staring at him long enough for him to notice your presence. You nearly jumped when his eyes caught yours, pulling you back from your trance. "Oh, good evening," he greeted you with a faint smile. "Why are you still up?"

"Good _evening_? It's already 2 AM," you informed him after checking your wristwatch. "And I should be asking you that." You allowed yourself a smile as you walked to the sofa.

Steve seemed embarrassed with the sudden realization, but shrugged it off with a soft chuckle. "I guess I lost track of time. And I'm just… thinking. You?"

His eyes met yours again as if telling you to sit next to him. Getting the hint perfectly, you nodded in response and sat next to the Captain – on a _respectable_ distance (despite the urges of wanting to be a little bit _closer_ to him). All you could do was smile. "I, uh, couldn't sleep."

There was a pause. It was a good kind of silence, you thought; and you cherished the fact that you got to spend it with your favorite teammate. You stole glances of his sapphire orbs every once in a while and he would try starting a conversation with you, exchanging facts and tidbits about each other – all of which ended with fits of laughter and smiles.

You caught yourself enjoying the moment, when a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. You covered your ears on cue, but were disappointed when the thunder that followed wasn't as loud and scary as you thought it would be. You then looked up to see a worried Steve.

He looked at you intently, concern evident in his eyes. "You're scared of lightning." It was more of a statement than a question.

You scolded yourself inwardly. Despite your best efforts of hiding the reason why you couldn't sleep, you found yourself being caught with your own actions.

"I, uh… guess you could say that." You were surprised at how you weren't ashamed to admit it. You then felt comfort surging in. "Tony has luxurious beds, there's no argue with that. It's just, well… the _weather_."

You grimaced when you saw another lightning, this time accompanied by a roaring thunder. Much to your dismay, you weren't prepared for it and caused you to jump slightly. Steve noticed this and frowned. "Are you all right?" He got closer to you and gave you a reassuring pat on the shoulder – and it somehow eased you.

A smile crept on your face as you felt your cheeks redden. You then mentally thanked yourself that the lights were off and the only source of light of the room was from outside. "Y-yeah. It's nothing."

The super soldier then gave you a look, as if he just thought of something. He reached for something in his pocket and handed an iPod to you. "Here, hope this helps." He grinned excitedly as he tucked the earphones in your ears.

"Since when did you have an iPod?" You arched an eyebrow.

"Tony gave it to me. He told me I should be listening to today's music." He gave off one of his cheesy grins. "It isn't working out for me so far."

You couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

"I did get Clint to download some _relaxing_ songs, though. So…" He grinned as he looked down from a selection of songs, carefully choosing one that you would like. "Here."

Another lightning escaped from the night sky and thunder came a second after. But you didn't hear it. Your ears were too distracted from listening to a very relaxing rhythm. As the music went on, you then realized how much sleepy you were and felt yourself weaken as the symphony delved its way in you.

Without being aware of it, you were slowly drifting off.

"Good _morning_." Those were the last words you heard.

* * *

You were awakened by the glare of the sunlight and a soothing rhythm, which you found quite familiar. As you fought the urge of going back to sleep, you noticed a few _strange_ things – you felt earphones on your ears and a blanket wrapped around your body, you were sleeping while on a sitting position, and your head was rested on something quite _hard_ – yet comfortable. With that, a realization occurred in your head and you open your eyes suddenly.

You found yourself beside the blonde Avenger, with your head on his shoulder. When you straightened your back and moved away a little bit, your gaze found its way on Steve Rogers sleeping beside you. You took the earphones off your ears and chuckled a little at the sound of the captain's soft snores.

A smile formed on your face as you stood up and gently positioned the captain to a lying position. You then placed a cushion under his head and the blanket on his body, tucking him in. Once you were done, you knelt and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good morning, captain," you greeted and smiled.

You then went to the kitchen and decided to prepare a breakfast for him.

Unbeknownst to you, Steve was awake when you kissed him – and he couldn't help but smile.


End file.
